In today’s healthcare business, medical assistants play a vital role in assisting other professionals and assisting patients.
These multidisciplinary medical professionals work in outpatient clinics, medical offices, and other ambulatory care facilities, although they are concentrated in outpatient clinics, medical offices, and other ambulatory care facilities.
It is indeed a tough job, and not many are able to do it.
That is why you might wonder how much do medical assistants make in California, one of the most expensive states in the USA? We will answer that question here.
Summary
| Guide | How Much Do Medical Assistants Make In California? |
|---|---|
| Average Income | $44,561 annually |
| Highest Income | $52,540 annually |
| Education Qualification | Needed |
| Training | Needed |
Who Are Medical Assistants?
Medical assistants are essential medical workers who work in clinics and offices to help doctors throughout the day.
They may help the doctors to take your vital signs, examine your height and weight, and show you to the exam room where doctors are too busy to do so.
Medical assistants will check your health concerns and related systems before referring you to your doctor.
Although, medical assistants work closely with doctors, they are unable to provide medical advice to patients.
Their responsibilities are only gathering data and preparing the doctor and patient for the medical appointment.
The responsibilities of a medical assistant differ based on the office or clinic. The majority of their responsibilities are administrative or clinical in nature.
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How Much Do Medical Assistants Make in California?
Medical assistant wages can vary widely depending on specialization, region, years of experience, education, and a variety of other criteria.
Administrative medical assistants’ tasks will differ from those of clinical medical assistants. However, there may be some overlap.
A full-time medical assistant may be eligible for a bundle of benefits.
However, according to Indeed, the general salary for medical assistants in California is $44,561.
1. How Much Do Medical Assistants Make an Hour?
Medical Assistants make a minimum of $19.72 an hour and a maximum of $25.68 an hour.
2. How Much Do Medical Assistants Make a Month?
Medical Assistants make a minimum of $2,268 a month and a maximum of $3,291 a month.
2. How Much Do Medical Assistants Make A Year?
Medical Assistants make a minimum of $27,000 a year and a maximum of $45,000 a year.
Highest Salary Of Medical Assistants In California In 2023
As a medical assistant in California, you gain more with more experience or by changing places you work or your expertise.
However, once you have more than a decade of experience in the field, you get into the top 10%, no matter your expertise.
Those in top 10% earn $52,540 on average in California.
Is being A Medical Assistant Good Or Bad?
A medical assistant’s duties might be fast-paced or slow-paced.
Depending on where the individual works, certain work settings might be exceedingly fast-paced, while others can be moderate or even sluggish.
Clinical medical assistants at a public hospital may spend the whole shift on their feet, completing the duties of healthcare workers.
The stress of working in this sort of setting might make sense if the hospital serves as a key center for the community and receives patients on a regular basis.
Overall, it has tiring conditions that many can not cope with.
Being a medical assistant could always be a good choice if you think you can handle all this.
Pros and Cons of Being a Medical Assistant
Pros
- Flexible schedule
- Many career advancement opportunities
- Job security
- Training period is short
Cons
- Long Working Hours
- Low salary
- Stressful
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How To Become A Medical Assistant?
Here’s how you can become a Medical Assistant:
- According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, aspiring medical assistants must generally complete a one to two-year postsecondary education program that includes anatomy and medical terminology coursework.
- You need to complete high school or possess a GED. And at this point, you should concentrate on science and math courses that will help you prepare for a future as a CMA.
- Furthermore, while there are no national education requirements for medical assistants, the American Association for Medical Assistants (AAMA) recommends that these healthcare workers finish an authorized postsecondary degree before applying for certification.
- Finally, you must pass the CMA (AAMA) Certification Examination or the equivalent after finishing an authorized medical assisting program.
- Once you get certified, you can start applying for the position of Medical Assitant.
How Many Hours Do a Medical Assistant Work In California?
Most Medical Assistants work full-time for 40 hours a week in the morning, noon, and evening shifts.
They may require to work overtime over weekends if necessary. Medical Assistants can also work part-time.
What is the Starting Pay of a Medical Assistant In California?
The starting pay of a Medical Assistant is $19.72 an hour, which comes down to $27,000 a year minimum.
There are a lot of career advancement opportunities in this field, and if you make the right decision, you can end up earning a decent amount of money.
Medical Assistants Training Programs
Medical assistants have to have the necessary education in the area.
Vocational schools, universities, and junior colleges provide programs ranging from 10 months to two years.
Students typically pick recognized (authorized) programs to ensure that they receive the greatest education possible.
Administration, clinical, and externship are the three parts of the program.
Administrative training focuses on how to manage the day-to-day operations of medical practice.
Clinical education focuses on what happens with patients in the exam room.
Externship is a program that places medical assistants in the field to put their new abilities to the test in certified health care facilities.
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Conclusion
To conclude, being a medical assistant is actually not easy and also not easy to work as one because of the fast-paced environment.
It also requires you to be patient with the patients that come to the clinic in bad situations.
However, it can pay well and could be fun if you enjoy being around medical stuff.
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FAQ
How much do medical assistants make in California compared to other states?
Since California is a rather expensive state, medical assistants in California earn more than in other states.
How much do medical assistants make in California when they first start?
They start from a starting salary that is lower than the average.
How much do medical assistants make in California after working a decade?
Once you work for a decade as a medical assistant, you will most likely be in the top 10%, which will entitle you to one of the highest salaries.
Shefali Jain is a Content Writer & Editor at USWorkforce.org
After completing her graduation in hospitality, Shefali decided to follow her passion and started writing. Shefali has been writing for two years now and contributes to our website as a skilled editor and content writer with strong research skills. Writing product and service reviews, biographies, and book reviews are some of her key areas, among many others in which she specializes. In her time at the organization, she has written and edited content on a range of topics, including employment law, human resources, and business management.
ARTICLE SOURCES
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- https://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/what-is-a-medical-assistant[↩]
- https://www.indeed.com/career/certified-medical-assistant/salaries/CA[↩]
- https://www.nursingprocess.org/medical-assistant-pros-and-cons.html[↩]
- https://www.rasmussen.edu/degrees/health-sciences/blog/how-to-become-a-medical-assistant/[↩]